Executive Briefings

Many U.S. Manufacturers Seem to Be Unaware of New Hazmat Directive in Europe

By: Environmental Leader 05.06.2011

Many U.S. manufacturers are unaware of the details of the newest Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, known as RoHS2, according to environmental consultancy Environ.

The directive will become EU law in June with member state regulations taking effect 18 months later. It will apply to products dependent on electrical power to fulfill at least one intended function - in contrast to the current RoHS, which applies to products dependent on electrical power for their primary function.

Another major change is that distributors will have legal responsibilities under RoHS for the first time, Environ says. And it says that many companies do not know that RoHS2 requires manufacturers' CE Marking technical documentation to include test reports wherever applicable.

Many U.S. manufacturers are unaware of the details of the newest Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, known as RoHS2, according to environmental consultancy Environ.

The directive will become EU law in June with member state regulations taking effect 18 months later. It will apply to products dependent on electrical power to fulfill at least one intended function - in contrast to the current RoHS, which applies to products dependent on electrical power for their primary function.

Another major change is that distributors will have legal responsibilities under RoHS for the first time, Environ says. And it says that many companies do not know that RoHS2 requires manufacturers' CE Marking technical documentation to include test reports wherever applicable.